Stranger to Me
by Fire Tears X
Summary: -Spaige- Paige has been absent all summer for her fashion internship and when she returns she realizes a lot has changed changed... mainly her first love, Spinner. Rated M for language and sexual references.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: The characters of Degrassi belong to their rightful owners. Nor do I own The Devil Wear Prada or Queer as Folk.

**Summary**: Paige has been absent all summer for her fashion intern and when she returns she realizes a lot of things have changed… mainly her first love, Spinner.

**A/N**: I'm going to say this right off the bat before I get bashed for copying, the story's format (multiple stories, possible OCs, etc.) and general concept revolves around Maibe Josie's Sellie fanfics. They're wonderful so if you like this even the slight bit, go read hers (start off with _Numb_) because she does it a million times better than I do.

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Third step… Fourth step… Every step was a journey on its own. After sitting for 16 hours on a plane from Switzerland to Canada, Paige felt both numb and tired. For the first time, she resented the amount of clothes she had. Both of her hands were holding up luggage about 10 pounds and the taxi driver didn't stick around to help. Paige stumbled on the stairs as she tried to the reach the door and she fell right in front the door, her head banging loudly against it.

It was upsetting enough that her two best friends weren't at the door waiting for her like she had imagined. As she lie at the top of the stairs, worn out and numb, she started to remember her bon voyage party. The light bulb went off and she knew that they were all inside waiting for her to enter so they can jump up and shout "Surprise!" She almost felt embarrassed that she didn't consider the fact that her friends threw her a surprise welcome back party first.

Suddenly, the door rushed open and Ellie stood there in full flesh with over-sized football PJs and her red hair wrapped in a perfect granny-style bun. It has been 4 months since Paige saw Ellie.

Never mind the fact that she was excited to see her.

Never mind the fact that her first instinct was to stand attention and hug Ellie.

The first thing that came to Paige's mind was a makeover. Had Ellie lost her fashion sense since Paige had left to travel?

As Paige was hugging Ellie and swaying back and forth in front the doorway, Ellie seemed less than excited.

"Ahh! You're back today!?" Ellie said with a grin that shown all of her teeth.

"You forgot?" Paige was very surprised at Ellie. She was never the best when it came to acting but Ellie had put on a really convincing look.

"Nooo… of course not! I just didn't think you were coming at this time." Ellie's grin had worn out. She immediately stopped hugging Paige and ran down the stairs to collect her heavy luggage.

Paige walked into the building and looked around as if she'd never seen it before. She walked into the front room expecting shadows to pop up from the ground and "surprise" her. Instead, she got a simple sound of her own footsteps. The energy felt really weird and her spirits felt broken in a way. She noticed the furniture was rearranged. The Feng Shui arrangements she had set up long ago were no longer the way they used to be.

Ellie walked into the house, carrying her luggage with ease. "You guys… rearranged?" Paige asked, still trying to figure out in which way did things change.

Ellie nodded nervously and kept looking towards the staircase inside the house as if a ghost were appearing. She nudged her head to the left a little bit and bit her lip bottom lip. Paige, keen to Ellie's actions, ran to look towards the stairway. And there was Jesse, in Full Monty, looking down at Paige and Ellie. He walked down towards the stairs with no shame to his revealing package and touched Paige on her shoulder.

"Good to see you're back, Michalchuk." He said rather flirtatiously before flipping her long blonde locks.

Paige's jaw was dropped for much more than one reason. Shock of his existence was the lesser contribution to her expression. It has been a long time before she saw the dark brown-haired stud. He flipped his bang out of eyesight and took a step back to study Paige.

"Yeah, so I guess today is your birthday?" Paige asked sarcastically, trying her best to keep her eyes above his navel.

Jesse laughed and gave Ellie a smug wink. "No, I just think Ellie looks better in my clothes." He said as he pinched the football PJs and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Well… fortunately, we need your big…" Paige lost her train of thought at the word big. She shook her head to catch herself. "m… muscles!" Ellie looked at Paige and widened her eyes. Jesse looked at Paige with a happier expression. "Muscles to carry the bags, pervs!"

"Class-A bagboy in service!" Jesse said as he grabbed the luggage with ease and walked up the stairs. Ellie and Paige quietly admired him from the back as he walked up the stairs with both luggages retracting his muscles.

As he turned to the bedroom and left their sight, Paige rushed Ellie with not-so-impressed excitement. "You and Jesse stupidface are back together!?"

All of Ellie's teeth were visible again. She seemed to be showing them a lot lately. "…Not exactly." Paige frowned. "What?! I was needy and he was looking for random play."

"Needy? Ellie, Marco is needy. The best word I can find to explain… _that_ is horny. And that's putting it mildly."

"Come on, Paige! You had a nonexclusive relationship with him. You know how good he is in bed." Ellie pleaded for her acceptance.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's as good in bed as he is in a monogamous relationship," Ellie's shameful face became even fuller of shame. "But… who am I to judge?" Paige said, hoping not to upset Ellie on her first day back. "So, where's Marco?" she asked as she began walking up the stairs.

"Oh… he uhh… he went out to get some welcome back gifts."

"That's my Marco!" she sung happily before dancing up the stairs.

After she made it to the top of the stairs she waited started walking down the stairs to get her purse that Jesse might've left behind. As she made it to the bottom of the stairs she could hear Ellie whispering on the phone.

"Yeah, she's back! How come you didn't tell me it was today?" Ellie whispered softly. Paige took a peek out of the corner and Ellie was scrambling in the kitchen. "Yes, it was today." Ellie bit her nails and lowered her voice to refrain from shouting. "Okay. So I'll distract her for a long time while you get the surprise party together."

Paige, despite her love for parties, became really upset at the thought of them forgetting the day that she returns. First, Ellie loses her strength and gives into Jesse and now they can't even keep a calendar with her name marked for first of September. She kept trying to convince herself she was overreacting but she just couldn't wrap her head around the changes. Did they not miss her at all?

This never happened before. She never felt unwanted.

As she walked into her room with her head down, Jesse was laying in the bed with majority of his bottom wrapped under the covers. "You must be really tired. Do you want to me _cheer_ you up?" he asked with his traditional smug smile and his eyes continuously peeking down at the bulge in the sheets.

"Hah! Not really." Paige laughed jokingly with her hands set on her hips.

Jesse threw the sheets off and once again revealed himself in full glory. He got out of the bed and glided toward her smoothly. He cupped her chin in his hand and made her look him in the eye. "Your loss." He bragged before kissing her softly and leaving the room, right across the hall to Ellie's room.

'Was he always this much of an ass?' she asked to herself.

Paige felt really numb at the moment but she was doubtful that Jesse was the one to have that effect on her. Not even when she had him did he make her knees that weak. She collapsed right into her bed and snuggled into her pillow.

Ellie walked into the room at that moment and started to pull on her arm. "Hey Paige, you wanna go out?"

Paige threw her head underneath the pillow and kicked her feet twice. "I think the answer to that question is kind of obvious."

"Well… do you want me to stay in her with you and you can tell me about your travels while I unpack your bag?" Ellie, with the Paige's answer already in her head, closed the door and started to unload her luggage.

"Whatevskies!" Paige said before bursting into laughter at Ellie's spunky terminology.

"So not funny." Ellie argued as she folded her clothes.

The rest of that day was a blur. Paige kept falling in and out of sleep with certain conversations. She can recall Ellie ranting about boy troubles, or lack thereof, and how she's still more fortunate than Marco, who's still playing Ring around the Rosy with Eric. Paige was convinced that the heavy panting, wall knocking and giggling was from the time Jesse _joined_ the conversation. She can also recall Jesse flirting with her and kissing her yet again. Ellie was obviously nowhere in the room at that time.

After three or four vague interruptions, Paige was completely rested. She lifted her head slowly and looked out the window. The dusk sky was growing weaker by the minute. She looked around her room. All of her clothes were put in place and the room was completely clean. She smiled and sat back down in her bed. She was ready to walk down the stairs but she didn't want to ruin the _surprise_ they were setting up for her downstairs.

It wasn't long after she sat down that her door began to creek. "You woke?" Marco asked before taking a peek into the door. He walked into the room with a gift bag in his hand and a bright smile.

"How you've been, Andy Sachs?!" he asked as he hugged her. Miranda has been her nickname every since she began working for Andrea, whom he decided to call Meryl Streep, rather than the more appropriate nickname, Miranda Priestly… or Dragonlady.

"I've been pretty decent, Brian Kinney." Paige named him after the Queer as Folk character as retaliation. "So I see you've been shopping around. Is there anything in that bag for little ol' me?"

Marco handed her the bag and she didn't hesitate a second to the open it. There was a plain-white cotton shirt with writing on it.

_I get shit-faced drunk. How do you handle your stress?_

Paige let out a loud laugh and put the shirt on quickly. She started to playfully model it in the mirror.

"Sorry about that, the busboy job pays like a fast food restaurant so I don't have the money to support your high maintenance lifestyle." Marco said, defending himself quickly.

"It's okay. I really like it. It's been a long time since I wore anything plain." Paige sat next to Marco and hugged him to show her gratefulness. "But don't you think the context is a lot more appropriate for Nash?"

Marco laughed. "Speaking of Nash, did you two catch up?"

"If by 'catch up' you mean 'caught in the act'." Paige retorted. Marco rolled his eyes at the thought. "Is Jesse still walking around in the nude?"

"Jesse was walking around in the nude… and I missed it?!"

"You know… I just don't get it. Why would Ellie get back with asshat Jesse?"

"She didn't have a strong female figure to compare herself to." He answered as he looked down to the ground. Paige felt ashamed as well.

"Come on, let's go downstairs and get a snack."

Marco and Paige walked down the stairs and into the living room. The lights were off and the room was really dim. She already had her shocked face prepared. The lights flashed on quickly and people popped from every corner and from behind the couch.

"SURPRISE!"

There were a lot of people there. She tried her best to get a good look at most of the people while keeping her shocked face but only one person kept her attention.

He had a completely shaved head and a lot of piercings in his ear. He had a husky build and a handsome, boyish face. It's been so long before she saw him but couldn't help but feel he was a different person looking in her eyes.

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**A/N**: Okay, so I know I said I was going to do multi-stories and original characters but I had to set up the environment before I start to get into the plot and different characters.


	2. Conspiracy

**Stranger to Me**

Conspiracy

**Author's Notes:** I left this chapter collecting dust in my flash drive long enough. I have not abandoned this story, nor do I plan to. I just couldn't write this chapter the way I wanted to. I don't know what's wrong. So here ya go, tell me what you think!

Okay, so, before I start this chapter off, I just got a say a few things. This is still a Paige-centre chapter. I feel like I didn't introduce everything right in the prologue chapter. Also, the timeline for this is my ideal season 8. There may be a few details in season 7 that I dropped and others that I created on my own. I'll let you pick up on those details by yourselves. One detail I will explain ahead of time is an obvious one. Paige has been really distant with everyone in season 7. That's the basis of the environment that I set up in this FF.

* * *

-Explain to me

-This conspiracy against me.

-And tell me how,

-I've lost my power

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Paige danced over to the card table, spilling her beer cup as she waddled along. The card players, mostly strangers, were playing euchre. Paige forced a smile and pretended as if she knew what was going on. The little she knew about euchre she learned from watching Alex hustle a good game. At the coffee table where Marco, Eric, and a group of others were gathered Indian-style, was a game of poker. Once again, her knowledge fell short at this specific card g

"Want a hand, Paige?" Eric asked, scooting over to clear room for her.

"No thanks… I don't know much about poker but I can play a mean game of solitaire." She exclaimed before walking away.

The entire party had been a bore for her. She spent most of her time trying to remember names and even more time learning some. It was also very obvious that a lot of people there didn't really want to be there. Most of them came out of pity and others were invited out of pity. The latter crossed her mind as she looked across the room at Jay.

Paige felt ignored by the few people there who she actually considered friends. Ashley didn't take a second glance at Paige and Jimmy was out-of-sight for most of the party. Paige heard from Ellie that they were still dating but they hadn't spoken to each other once at the party. Manny, who admittedly wasn't one of Paige's best friends, merely waved and spend majority of the night with her arms wrapped around Marco's neck. Ellie made a small comment about Manny; calling her Marco's new fag hag. Spinner, on the other hand, took a few glances at Paige but he has yet to approach her.

As she realized she had no place in her own party, she slowly stormed upstairs waiting for _someone_ to notice she was leaving. When she made it to her room she began undressing. She was hardly tired but she figured she would be better off in the room lying down than sticking around for a party she isn't needed. She undressed down to nothing but her bra and boy shorts before she could hide under her sheets and cry herself to sleep. Her door slowly creaked open. A familiar voice called her name.

"Paige? Are you decent?" A shaved head and a pair of brown eyes found their way into the room.

Paige scurried from under the sheets and gave welcoming grunts.

As he walked into the room, she noticed how his pale skin contrasted against his dark clothes. In just his stance alone she had noticed a darker vibe to him.

"Spinner." she said in a half-shocked, half-excited tone.

She opened her arms to let him know she wanted to hug him but she didn't stand because she was still hiding her revealing body under the sheets. He walked over to the bed and hugged her tightly.

"You came!" she said excitingly as they hugged.

Paige's grip on Spinner's black shirt kept switching. She wanted to grip it tightly to let him know she was glad he's there but she didn't want to give him the impression that she wanted something from him. It was hard to let him know how much she appreciated him without seeming pathetic. She stopped hugging him and smiled as they exchanged deep stares. It's almost been a year since she said a word to Spinner. The punk rock Spinner was going to take some getting used to.

"Paige," he finally spoke, sounding almost as nervous as Paige felt. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, hun." That nickname was her trademark, especially when directed to Spinner.

Paige and Spinner sat there, smiling. She swallowed as her mouth watered. She tried her best to look over Spinner's shoulder but she couldn't stop staring at his face. His head was down and his eyes weren't focused on anything. He bit down on his tongue and started rubbing his saved head. He spoke, following his hard exhaled breath.

"How come you're not downstairs at your party?"

"_My _party?" for that split second, Paige forgot that the party was thrown for her welcoming.

"Umm…" Spinner didn't know if she was being sarcastic or if she was upset for some reason. After a full party recap he noticed that she wasn't very social during the party. He wanted to believe that she was mad but her voice was showing hints of pain. "Come on, I'll introduce you to my girlfriend."

He stood in front of her and reached his hand out, knight-in-shining-armor style. His eyes were glaring down on her with grace. His smile had never looked so genuine and he never seemed so wise. Not in Paige's eyes. Not until that night.

"You're a true friend, Spinner." She smiled and looked at his reaching hand. "But…"

"It's fine… if you don't want to." His face only took the blink of an eye to turn into a big disappointment. He put his hand down and shrugged. "So… I guess I'll see you around."

Spinner turned around slowly and took baby steps toward the door. "Spinner," he turned around quickly, trying to hide his thoughts. "I was going to say 'wait for me'. I'm not completely dressed underneath here." Paige smiled, yet again, and waited for him to leave.

As the door closed, Paige hurried from under her bed and ran into her closet. It was the first time in a long time that she felt like she didn't have anything at all to wear. With her room being newly organized, she promised herself that the first outfit she'll tryout would be the last. Not long after trying on her first outfit did she promise the 2nd one was going to be the final. The 2nd promise was followed by the 3rd promise.

She had tried on six different outfits before she figured there was no use. 'It's not a date,' she repeated to herself. The plain jeans and beige top was very classic but casual. She wasn't satisfied but she had no place to argue against it. 'It's not a date.'

As she left her room, she looked down on the wall next to the door and Spinner sat there with his head buried in his knees.

"Spin? You waited for me?" Spinner picked his head up. His cheeks looked as if someone had continuously pinched them. "And, I see you've been smothering cherries."

Spinner rubbed his cheeks forcefully and smiled. As he stood up, he looked up and down at Paige. "Uh… that's not what you were wearing earlier."

"Yeah… It took me forev-" Paige cut herself off. "Nevermind that. Are you ready to go back to the party?" Paige asked as Spinner stood up.

Spinner and Paige started walking down the stairs together. The music was much louder than earlier and the crowd was larger. Marco was running around frantically, handing out coasters to anyone with a drink.

"Jane."

"Huh?"

"Jane is her name. The name of my girlfriend."

Paige had forgotten that the invitation's purpose was to meet Spinner's new girlfriend. "Jane? That sounds real… sitcom-ish. Is she cute?"

"See for yourself." Spinner walked through the crowd and wrapped his arms around a girl who was sitting against the kitchen sink.

Her onyx black hair sticks out the most. Her hooped nose ring is one of the biggest Paige had ever seen. Jane wore black everywhere. Besides the black outfit, black lipstick, and black eyeliner, there was a hint of blue mascara up-close.

"Jane, this is Paige. Paige, Jane." Spinner said, introducing the strangers. Paige studied Jane up-and-down but Jane wasn't as studious. Her eyes were on Paige's eyes the entire time.

"Jane? That's a real classy name."

"Yeah, that's why I hate it. If it was up to me, I'd have a name like…" she nudged at Spinner. "Gavin."

"Well, I _love_ the name Jane." Spinner said as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Paige is your name? So you must be Spinner's infamous ex-girlfriend." Jane said as she laughed.

"Infamous ex-girlfriend? Were we that much of a power couple?"

"Um, I don't think so. I had to hear about you from my future ex-boyfriend here." Jane pinched Spinner as she laughed.

"Future ex-boyfriend? Are you breaking up with me, dude?" Spinner asked playfully, staring down at her face.

"What if I was, dude?" Jane giggled before giving Spinner a teasing kiss.

Paige laughed. "He talks about me? Oh, do tell."

"Not much, except that you're the one who broke his wee-wittle heart."

"Wee-wittle, huh?" Spinner groped Jane and shook her for a while.

"That's – not the only – thing that's – wee-wittle!" She said in between certain shakes.

"Oooh! Now I'm gonna kill you!" Spinner said, lifting her off her feet and bear hugging her.

"Ahh, I can't breathe, Spin."

"Then say my name."

"Never!"

"Say it!" Spinner hugged her harder.

"Okay. Spinner." She said in a low tone.

"Louder."

"Spinner!"

"Louder."

"SPINNER!"

The introduction didn't take long before it turned into foreplay between the two. Paige's stomach was burning badly at the sight. In a way, she felt foolish that she put so much unnoticed effort into her outfit. She didn't even want anything from him but she still felt entitled to dress for his benefits.

_This is just what I need to wake me up. Spinner is so high school and I shouldn't be trying to dig up old bones. Spinner looks extremely happy with Jane and he's my oldest friend. I should be happy too._

"You guys are too cute."

After that statement from Paige, Jimmy rolled up from behind her. He barely looked at her but he couldn't look away from her either. His mouth was open but he couldn't find any words to say.

"Hey, Jimmy!" Paige said before hugging him tightly.

Had it not been for the fact that Jimmy was reluctant when he was hugging her back, this hug wouldn't have been half as awkward as her hug with Spinner upstairs.

"Hey, Paige…" Jimmy's tone was the worst she'd ever heard it. He was obviously bitter for some reason.

"Jimmy, can we talk outside."

"Sure."

Getting away from the party didn't seem to help the situation. Jimmy was still sour in the face and he never looked Paige in the eye once. She never felt this unwanted before. Not in Jimmy's presence.

"I missed you, hun." Jimmy looked up at her for the first time. "I don't know. Maybe an entire summer seemed longer than it actually was. Maybe I was expecting open arms from everyone I know. I don't know what it is but can you tell me why I feel weird with you."

"An entire summer_ is_ a long time, Paige."

"Then what's the problem, Jimmy? What did I do to piss you off?"

"It's been a year, Paige."

"What?"

"A whole year. I haven't talked to you in a whole year. Every since my store fell through it's like I never existed to you."

"Jimmy I-"

"I missed you too Paige. But it was long before the summer."

Jimmy turned around and started strolling back inside the house. Paige was too embarrassed at the time to face Jimmy so she sat outside and decided to wait for a while. The curb was always a place where she could really think about everything around her. When she broke up with Alex, she spent an hour on that curb, covering her tears under a pair of shades.

"Room for two?" the familiar voice behind her asked.

"Don't you mean room for three?" Paige's remark came out before she realized what she was saying.

"Nah. My friend needs me right now."

Spinner sat next to her for as long as she needed.


End file.
